


Paleo Liberandum

by thelarenttrap



Category: One Direction
Genre: AU, Adventure, Jurassic Park AU, Jurassic World AU, Louis is a keeper, M/M, harry is a vet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-26
Updated: 2019-12-26
Packaged: 2021-02-26 04:20:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,751
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21977239
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thelarenttrap/pseuds/thelarenttrap
Summary: At one time, Harry's degree had meant he would live his dream: being a vet at Jurassic World. One month before his graduation the indominus rex had escaped and ended that dream.Two years later, the island is going to be destroyed by a volcano.
Relationships: Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson
Comments: 2
Kudos: 21





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So I started writing this after Jurassic Park: Fallen Kingdom came out, and I didn't finish it when I was supposed to and then set it down for like a year at one point and I don't even know if I like this anymore but I don't want to have written this many words and never let anyone see it so here it is I guess

Harry hates these damn alumni events. He hates the small talk and the pleasantries. He hates that, despite attending six of them across the three year span since his graduation, the promised networking possibilities have not paid off. 

“What do you do?” A red haired woman asks him. 

“My degree is in paleo veterinary medicine,” Harry tells her. He doesn’t add that his current job is working in the reptile section of his local pet shop. 

Harry also hates that his degree is useless. It had not always been a $150,00 piece of paper. At one time, his degree destined him for his dream. A month and one day before his graduation date, his degree meant employment at Jurassic World. A month before his graduation date, Jurassic World had shut down as the park was decimated by the Indominus Rex’s escape. And Harry’s dreams had died (along with numerous park guests and employees). 

Harry walks away from the woman and towards the bar. He orders another gin and tonic and looks over his shoulder at the room as he waits for the bartender to mix the drink. It’s a sorry crowd. Harry recognizes more faces than he expects, the same people always frequenting these events, just like him. However, Harry suspects he is a bit more desperate than the others. 

On the far side of the bar, he locks eyes with a stranger. The man has dark hair, styled in a way that defies gravity. He is striking, a man who could turn heads on the street. Harry tries not to stare, and turns back to the bar to accept his drink. He leaves a meager tip for the bartender, feeling guilty. When he turns back to the room, the man is talking to another in slacks and a sport coat. Harry finds his feet wandering towards them, curious about the stranger’s earlier stare. 

They turn as he approaches. “Harry, Harry Styles,” he introduces himself, offering a hand to each of them.

“Zayn Malik,” the striking man says, shaking Harry’s hand. “Did I hear correctly that you are a paleo vet?” 

Harry is startled by the directness of the question. “Yes, graduated summa cum laden.” 

“Liam,” the other man introduces himself. Then asks, “Ever seen a dinosaur?” 

Harry shakes his head. “The only ones are stranded on Isla Nublar.” 

Zayn is nodding. “You might be interested in a project my friend is working on…” he begins digging in his pocket. “Here.”

Zayn hands a business card to Harry. It is thick paper, but a simple design with black text and brackets printed in the corners. Harry glances at it, but doesn’t read the information. He looks back up as Zayn and Liam shift, as if readying to leave. 

“We are headed out, but shoot my friend an email,” Zayn says. “I think we may all have some common interests.” Liam smiles as Zayn cryptically turns away, and they weave through the crowd together towards the front doors. Harry watches Zayn dig a carton of cigarettes out of his pocket as they disappear.

Then, Harry looks back at the business card. It reads:

  
  


Dr. Louis Tomlinson

Animal Behavior, PhD, 2013

ltomlinson@jurassicworld.net

  
  


Harry almost drops the business card in surprise. A Jurassic World email? Does that mean… it must mean this man was a Jurassic World employee.

Harry waits until the next morning to email Louis. He doesn’t want to seem overeager (plus he had been buzzed when he left the event), but whatever opportunity Dr. Tomlinson has to offer, Harry can almost guarantee he will say yes. Without knowing what Louis is working on, Harry isn’t able to say much in his email. He hits send and feels like he has already somehow disappointed the man with the short message. 

Harry checks his phone all through his shift at the pet shop. Since graduation, he’s worked at “Exotic Pets and Companions.” Although he cares about the reptiles and birds at the shop, he also cares about dinosaurs more and he can’t help but assume this is what Dr. Tomlinson has in store for him. By the time he returns home after the shop closes, he falls onto the futon and languidly refreshes his email again, expecting nothing. 

When he sees the response from Louis, he sits bolt upright, all fatigue forgotten. 

_ Dr. Styles: do you have plans tonight? I’d prefer to tell you all about my project in person. _

Harry quickly responds, letting Louis know he is free and would love to get drinks. That’s a professional thing to do, right? Harry has never especially worked with people in his own field other than college, but occasionally the medical students and their professors would get drinks on a Friday after class. He hopes it’s an appropriate suggestion. 

He turns his phone sound on so as to not miss a message before pulling his slowly dying college laptop from amongst the blankets of his bed and queueing up the next episode of  _ The Great British Baking Show _ on Netflix. 

By the time the showstopper has come around, Harry isn’t paying attention to the episode anymore but simply staring at his black phone screen. Despite this, it’s of course when he goes to the bathroom that Dr. Tomlinson responds, and Harry misses the notification. When he returns to his phone, he unlocks it with fumbling fingers to read the email. 

They plan to meet for drinks in an hour at some “quaint” bar Dr. Tomlinson suggests. Harry hurries to his closet, unsure what to wear to get drinks with another PhD bearer. He is willing to bet it is not his “Exotic Pets and Companions” polo. 

He settles on a loose fitting button up shirt and a pair of his favorite dark wash jeans. Harry thinks it looks professional, but not too much. At least, he hopes. 

As Harry takes the stairs down, he watches on his phone as his Uber driver nears the apartment complex. By the time Harry makes it to the curb, the Uber is just pulling over. He squeezes into the back seat of the Prius, suddenly growing nervous about meeting Dr. Tomlinson. 

This occupies his mind for the entire drive. When they pull up to the curb beside the bar, Harry nearly forgets to thank his driver as he stumbles onto the sidewalk, catching his foot on the lip of the sedan’s door as he exits. 

“Thank y--oof sorry, my bad.”

“Have a good night sir,” the driver tells him. He nods. 

Harry enters the bar, a hole in the wall establishment with wooden walls and bright neon lights. He looks around for a moment, unsure what Dr. Tomlinson looks like. Somehow, Dr. Tomlinson spots Harry though. 

“Harry? Harry Styles?”

“Um yes. That’s me.” Harry approaches the booth where a petite man sits, mouse brown hair tousled and blue eyes gleaming. He looks the same age as Harry. He’s taken aback for a moment, having expected Dr. Tomlinson to be much older than himself as he is a PhD bearer. But then again, Harry has a doctorate at his age. He just doesn’t  _ feel _ like he has a doctorate. 

Dr. Tomlinson motions to the seat across from him. “Or I suppose you’re Dr. Styles to dinosaurs,” Dr. Tomlinson laughs. 

“Well, you’re Dr. Tomlinson to them too,” Harry tries, hoping more humor is the proper response. Dr. Tomlinson chuckles, small lines folding beside his eyes. 

Harry settles into his seat, the vinyl making a small noise. The waiter appears almost immediately and Harry orders a gin and tonic, taking a queue from Louis’s own well drink already on the table. It looks like a Jack and Coke. 

“So, what is this project of yours?” Harry asks. 

Louis takes a sip of his drink before responding. “I assume you are aware of the situation on Isla Nublar.”

Harry nods. How could someone not be? For the last month it has been the forefront of the news, the fact that the dinosaurs of Jurassic World were facing extinction from a newly active volcano on the north of the island. 

“And I’m guessing you know I was a Jurassic World employee.”

Again, Harry nods. “If you don’t mind me asking, what did you do there?”

“I was the protoceratops keeper,” Dr. Tomlinson says, right hand loosely around his glass. “Well, head of the protoceratops team. The herd kept growing and growing, so we brought on more hands. But they were like my pets, like really big dogs. I don’t think all keepers felt quite so...attached to their dinosaurs. I can’t imagine the carnotaurus keepers have nearly as much face time with their charges as I did. Nor were they hounded by familial patterns anytime they stepped foot in the enclosure.

“And this has put me in a horrible situation where… I am being told they might die.” Harry doesn’t miss the way Dr. Tomlinson’s voice thickens. “And,” he clears his throat, “because of that, I am gathering a rescue team.”

He says it point blank, like it’s the simplest thing in the world. “Obviously, we are being very careful about this. I know you’ve met Zayn and Liam, both friends of mine who worked at the park as well. We can only bring on people who are willing to play a little hookie, take some risks. It’s not a safe task. Nor a sane one, many would say.”

Harry nods. 

Dr. Tomlinson waits a beat. “Nor a legal one.” He waits for this to sink in. Harry thinks for a just a moment, then nods again. 

“Good, because we need a vet.” Dr. Tomlinson lets the sentence hang. He waits. 

And Harry thinks. This is illegal, they are technically stealing the dinosaurs. And traveling to another country possibly illegally. And probably moving animals across country borders illegally. What would happen to the dinosaurs once off the island?

“Where will you take them? The protoceratops?”

“I, coincidentally, inherited my grandfather’s estate in Arizona. He was a cattle farmer but I sold the cattle last month in preparation for the protos,” Dr. Tomlinson says. 

When Harry doesn’t immediately respond again, Dr. Tomlinson settles back into his seat. “I know it’s a lot to ask, you can take some time to think about it.”

“I’ll--I need that,” Harry tells him. “I imagine… a lot can go wrong?”

“The trip is being funded by Dr. Hammond’s nephew, rich Irish fellow who wants to do what he can to help. He had his lawyer look into the penalties if this goes wrong, if we are caught. There’s… a lot of jail time is this doesn’t fly under the radar.” Dr. Tomlinson gulps, obviously nervous about outlining the downsides. 

“I see,” is all Harry says in response, his mind racing. Is he willing to risk it? To risk it all for the dinosaurs? He doesn’t know. 

Dr. Tomlinson and Harry part ways soon thereafter. “You have my card,” Dr. Tomlinson reminds him, “Call me.”

Harry nods. 

Harry barely sleeps that night, tossing and turning in his bed as he considers joining Dr. Tomlinson’s team. Is he willing to risk this? Risk his veterinary licence, and freedom, and future to save the protoceratops on Isla Nublar?

The next morning, Harry has only had a fit full three hours of sleep. When his alarm goes off, he groans and fumbles to silence his phone. He then immediately stumbles to the coffee maker, flipping the switch to start it and checking his phone notifications. 

Harry drops his phone, then gasps and hurries to check that he didn’t crack the phone’s screen. Once he is sure he hasn’t cost himself hundreds of dollars, he opens the news notification. 

“Shit, shit, shit.” Harry had forgotten that today was the Supreme Court’s decision about the dinosaurs. They are determining if they will protect the dinosaurs as endangered species, and therefore fund a rescue mission to save the animals, or deem them private property. Harry feels a tightness form in his chest. 

It doesn’t go away all day. And this is why Harry pushes open the door to a bar after work and settles onto a bar stool facing a TV. He can’t believe he is doing this, like he is a fan rolling up to watch his favorite sports team play the “big game.” 

Except it’s congressional news. 

This is one of the few moments Harry wishes he had cable. Hell, he wishes he had even the  _ money _ for cable to be an option. The last place he wants to be when he is delivered intense news is a bar with strangers. 

The good thing is, on a Thursday night it isn’t very busy. Most of the patrons are people grabbing a drink with a few friends after work. It’s not too loud, nor too quiet and the bartender is able to take Harry’s order right away. He asks for a Stella and waits to ask for the bartender to change the channel until he returns with the drink. 

“Can I bother you to put the news on?” Harry asks. The bartender shrugs and pulls a remote from beneath the bar, handing it to Harry. 

“Have at it.”

Harry pans through the channels and finds ABC News easily enough. He quickly reads the captions, only to discover they are not yet even discussing the dinosaurs. 

It takes them only thirty seconds to reach the topic, however. 

“So tonight, Congress will make their decision on the future of the dinosaurs on Isla Nublar.”

“Yes, and it’s been a very controversial issue. Animal rights activists have been campaigning for the rescue of the dinosaurs and have argued to classify them as an endangered species. Many right wing conservatives have  _ hated _ the idea of sending resources to save the dinosaurs from the volcano eruption because of the severe cost of the mission, as well as the question of what will happen to them once they are removed from the island.”

“It’s a scary thought, Cheryl. The dinosaurs that caused the catastrophic events in Jurassic World in 2015 would be on mainland, not separated by sea. We have gotten used to the idea of a natural barrier between us and all those teeth. I suppose I understand the fear of bringing them closer to urban society.”

Harry stops reading the captions as they simply summarize the issue. He is well aware of the arguments from both sides, has been keeping up with any and all news coverage he can on the topic. He does continue to watch as the screen switches to a drone shot of Isla Nublar. The volcano leaks smoke slowly into the sky, but the drone is too high to be able to see any dinosaurs on the ground. Even with the filter of smoke between the lens and the island, it is startlingly green and beautiful. 

“Oh and it seems Congress is due to release their decision at any moment. Let’s tune in now!” The news cuts to a man taking the podium in D.C. He eyes the live crowd in front of him for a moment, then straightens his suit jacket before bending the podium microphone to aim more acutely at his face. 

“Regarding the welfare of the man-bred dinosaurs on Isla Nublar,” he begins, “Congress has decided to... _ not _ grant them endangered species status.” He says something else, bullshit Harry’s eyes don’t read as it settles in what this means: the dinosaurs will all  _ die _ . 

Harry seems to be the only one in the bar paying attention to the news on the screen, the only one invested in the welfare of hundreds of ancient beings. He looks around for anyone else having an internal crisis, but all the other patrons carry on with their night. 

When Harry turns back to the TV, the news anchors are talking again. 

“This means the dinosaurs will most likely perish in the impending volcanic explosion on Isla Nublar.”

“Ryan, there are going to be a lot of sad animal lovers tonight. What do you think we can tell them?”

“I suppose the silver lining--”

Harry turns off the bar TV. He sets the remote down heavily on the counter and fishes a ten from his pocket to leave as payment. A few patrons turn his way as he hurries out of the bar, too fast to go unnoticed as he hastily pulls his light jacket on. 

Outside, he fumbles for his phone as he walks aimlessly away from the bar. He scrolls and finds Louis’s contact quickly and presses the telephone button with his thumb. 

It rings twice before Dr. Tomlinson picks up. “Well, I thought I might be hearing from you.”

“I’m in,” Harry says quickly. “Dr. Tomlinson, tell me when and where and what to bring. I’m  _ in _ .”

Harry can practically hear Dr Tomlinson’s smile through the phone. “Please, call me Louis.” 


	2. Chapter 2

“Harry, Niall. Niall, Harry,” Louis says. 

Harry rearranges the things in his hands, shoving his water bottle into the crook of his arm and throwing his backpack up and over one shoulder to free a hand for Niall to shake. He is surprised by the casualness Niall exudes for a millionaire (or billionaire? Harry can’t remember what he’d read when he Googled the man, just that he’s  _ loaded _ ). 

“Nice to meet you, can’t wait for the next couple days,” Niall laughs. 

“It’s uh nice to meet you too,” Harry says.

“Don’t listen to anything he says,” Louis says flippantly. “It’s all humor, BS. Says whatever shit comes to mind.”

“Oi, it’s not  _ all _ shit,” Niall says. 

Harry thinks he’s going to get along with these two just fine. 

They head for airport security together. It’s a Tuesday morning, the airport emptier than Harry thinks he’s ever seen it. They are all traveling light, just backpacks and small duffels. Louis had emailed Harry an itinerary after their phone call. It would take more than a day of travel to reach the island. They were flying first to San Antonio, then they had a two hour layover before the flight to Costa Rica. Then they had to drive to the coast where Niall had hired a helicopter driver, an old park employee too, to fly them to Isla Nublar. 

The jet lag is going to be killer. 

Most of the walk through the airport is filled by Louis and Niall berating one another. Harry listenes, liking the two of them more every second. He can’t help but notice how Louis shifts his weight up onto his toes, making himself a tiny bit taller, each time he issues a seething, teasing comment Niall’s way. Harry has to keep himself from smiling. 

They settle into the seats at their gate and Louis begins to grill him. “So you went to Cornell, right?” he asks. 

“Sure did, go bears,” Harry says with little inflection. 

“And you’ve never actually used your degree, right?”

“Graduated May 2015,” Harry says as way of answer. Niall whistles lowly. 

“Sucks, man,” Niall says. “Although you’re maybe lucky you weren’t on the island on  _ the day _ .”

“Were either of you?” Harry asks. He’s always wondered what it was like, how horrible it was to be there during such a catastrophic event. 

“I was,” Louis says and suddenly he’s a million miles away. “I never saw the indominus rex, just… heard about the encounters. But we evacuated, and… god the shittiest thing is how the dinosaurs are just  _ attractions _ at the park. The safety protocols… none of them keep the animals safe. They’re  _ all _ for the people. They made me leave, but there wasn’t so much as a shelter I could try to get the protos in before I left, no safety to try to protect them. They, all of the dinosaurs, were just  _ left _ there.”

Harry and Niall are quiet. 

“But that’s why we are going back!” Louis crows, then quickly looks around and quiets himself. “We are going to save them this time.”

Much to Harry’s disappointment, Louis falls asleep as soon as they board the plane. He murmurs something about beating the jet lag, pops a sleeping pill, and is out cold. Harry had hoped to get to know him more, pick his brain about the island and its inhabitants, but he has no such luck. Niall is quality entertainment however, commenting on the in-flight movie like they are buddies watching a football game in his living room. 

The two hour layover brings them lunch, a few rounds of cards with a deck Louis produces from his backpack, and then they are on board again to Costa Rica. 

Harry didn’t know if he’d find the helicopter ride better or worse than the somewhat turbulent flight between Texas and Costa Rica. Harry is enjoying the helicopter ride, however. And not just because Louis is awake for it. Despite the deafening noise of the blades that warrants their large headsets, he is having fun looking out at the ocean. Niall holds a steady conversation with himself as they go, Harry and Louis making knowing eye contact when he gets a little too loud and hurts their ears through the headphones. 

Zayn has joined them for this leg of the travel too. Apparently he’d been in Costa Rica before them, acquiring some needed equipment with some of Niall’s checks. It had been loaded into the Jeep hanging from the bottom of the helicopter before they took off but Harry has yet to see what it is. 

“The helicopter pad is a bit inland,” Louis tells Harry. “Dan will drop the Jeep, and then us. We need to locate the herd and decide where the boat is docking first thing. But on the way home we will be taking the boat with the herd. I’m not leaving their side, and we’ll need our vet on board too.”

Harry nods. 

“So we are heading to the control tower and then…?” he prompts. 

“I’ll boot up the island’s tracking system,” Zayn says. “I worked in the control tower so I should be able to get the program up to track the herd.”

“Granted,” Niall says from across, “this is all assuming the system still works at all. And that we can get through the multiple security levels to even get to the control room.”

“Basically, we don’t have any idea what state the security system is in,” Louis says, “and the only way to ensure it won’t hinder our success is to have someone--Zayn--get into the system and check it out.”

“Land ho,” Dan, the pilot, says from the cockpit. 

Louis bolts out of his seat, disregarding his seat belt, to press closer to the cockpit and glimpse the island through the windshield. 

“How does she look?” Zayn asks. 

“So much smoke,” Louis murmurs. 

Zayn manages to see the island past Louis’s shoulder. “It’s worse than I thought. The volcano is… more active.”

“We’ll have to be fast.”

“Just in-and-out. Like we planned,” Niall says. “It’ll work.”

Louis nods, but Harry sees him take a nervous gulp. 

Dan asks Niall and Louis to rebuckle for their descent and there is a tense few minutes as they lower into the green of the island. The helicopter shakes as the wind it creates bounces off the rocks of a nearby cliff and back into them, but manages to drop the Jeep hanging beneath them without damage.Then they descend fully, rocking more and more until they are settling onto the helicopter pad. Harry is gripping the edge of his seat, white knuckled, as the other’s unbuckle their seatbelts. 

“Let’s go,” Louis says, grabbing his pack from the floor and winging it over his shoulder. “Keep your head low across the pad.”

Harry follows after him, backpack securely over both shoulders and holding the straps. He glances back at Niall and sees him clutching his baseball cap to his head as he follows too. 

They climb into the Jeep, Niall and Zayn in front with Louis and Harry in the back. Zayn looks more like a model than anything else with his sunglasses and windswept hair. He glances in the rearview mirror. “Buckle up,” he tells them as he navigates the Jeep through a three point turn to head away from the helicopter pad. 

“Where is the control room?” Harry asks. 

“The Innovation Center, that iconic building on all the brochures that’s a cone,” Louis says. He produces a map from his pack, but it’s obviously a tourist map printed off the internet and points to the cartoon drawing. “This.” He looks at Harry and then back at the map. “All of the Jurassic Park servers are on the island, as soon as the power went down the entire system died. Couldn’t get anything more technical than this. I am lucky my park email still works in all this mess. Guess that’s hosted by Google.”

They ride silently for a few minutes, the road evening out from dirt and bumps to smooth pavement. They come over a rise onto planes and a fence appears, the electric gate wide open. Harry keeps his eyes peeled for dinosaurs as they drive, but only sees a few silhouettes flying in the distance. He can’t tell from here if they’re seagulls or pterodactyls. 

Past the gate, the main tourist area is easily spotted. The Innovation Center stands high above the rest of the buildings, like the volcano looming over the island itself. Zayn drives the Jeep between a Starbucks and a “Paleo Outpost” gift shop before they are heading up the main street towards the center. 

Harry knows what it looked like in its prime. He had watched all the advertisements, had read every word on the website, had seen all the pictures. He knows the wonder and glory Jurassic Park held, had been a part of the fervent love for the park the world fostered. Now, it looks like a dystopian novel location. The path is so desolate there aren’t even brochures or newspapers to blow: they’re long gone. Glass still lies on the ground from the broken windows, and a row of palm trees beside a restaurant have all fallen over. 

“It’s not even home anymore,” Louis says, barely a whisper. 

“I know,” Zayn replies. The Jeep is crawling as they all take in the destruction and desolation. Harry watches Louis’s face as they settle beside a planter at the Innovation Center steps. Harry watches his eyes flick to the leaning lamp post and spilled trash can, picked over by the animals, anything edible gone. 

“Where did you guys live?” Harry asks. 

“Employees where a little bit everywhere,” Louis says. “The few business people who were actually on the island and not working remotely lived in the hotel. Maintenance and cleaning and some of the other workers stayed in a trailer park of sorts out northeast of here. A lot of the keepers lived with or near their animals. Since mine move around the plains, I was in a cabin above the valley with the keepers for the other herd dinosaurs.”

“I was in a hostel situation near the hotel,” Zayn says. “Creepy close to the t-rex though. Sometimes she just roars cause she is bored and it’s the scariest thing you’ll ever hear.” 

Zayn unbuckles then and everyone else follows his lead. He and Louis head to the back, where they unload a large generator. 

They each take a side and move it up the steps where they set it by the door. 

“Doors will be locked and the only way to unlock them is to get the power back on,” Zayn tells them. “There should be a box on one side of the building we can use.”

Niall finds it on the west side of the Innovation Center. Harry and Zayn haul the generator to it, with Louis untangling cords as he follows. Zayn sets to work, connecting the cords and then sends Niall to watch the doors as he boots up the generator. 

“They unlocked!” Niall calls, appearing around the corner with a thumbs up ready. 

“We’re in boys,” Zayn sings. 

They leave the generator running (“It has enough gas for six hours, it’s fine,” Zayn assures them) and head into the center. Zayn leads the way with Niall, Louis, and Harry falling behind as Harry lingers to marvel at the displays. There are still hand prints in the archaeology dig from children. The hologram dinosaurs still stride around their display in the center of the cone shaped room. The whole building is operating as if it were a normal day, and Harry yearns for the chance to be a part of it. 

“My favorite exhibit is over here,” Louis says. He steers Harry towards a long series of windows. As they draw closer, Harry recognizes amber in several of the displays and immediately knows what the exhibit is: the demonstration of the DNA extraction. 

“Dr. Hammond may have been one hell of a capitalist lover and a little off his rocker,” Louis says, “but nothing ever puts me more in awe than how him and his original team of scientists found the dinosaur DNA.”

Harry is quiet as he looks at the windows, starting with a replica mosquito on the skin of a giant dinosaur, then the mosquito landing on a sappy tree. It is hardened into amber, and in the future humans are able to extract the blood from the mosquito’s abdomen. It’s so simple, yet so clever. 

“Of course, they were idiots for thinking amphibian DNA was the key to filling in the gaps,” Louis says. 

“It’s birds now I assume?”

“Yup. They use mostly quails and chickens if I remember correctly. Maybe some crows too?” Louis says. 

“That’s frightening,” Harry says, thinking of the stories he has heard about how smart crows are. 

“It’s probably why the predators keep getting the better of us,” Louis muses. 

“Aye, let’s get a move on,” Niall barks from across the room. Zayn and him are at a door leading deeper into the building. Zayn is digging in his backpack and, as they watch, finds a small card. 

It turns out to be his Jurassic World ID. “Of all the things to have saved,” Louis says, “you managed to grab it in the madness.”

“Reflex,” Zayn says. “Couldn’t get anywhere on the island without it.”

They quickly leave the tourist part of the building behind. Zayn leads them down a few long corridors beside glass rooms of science before they arrive at the control center. 

“Now, I will have to hack into the mainframe so this may take a while,” Zayn says. “Since I didn’t deal with tracking the dinosaurs, it isn’t just going to let me into that system just off my password.”

“I’m sure we can amuse ourselves,” Louis says, eyes alighting as he spots a row of plastic dinosaur toys sitting along the top of one of the displays. Harry follows as he settles into the office chair, eyeing the orange apatosaurus. 

It takes Zayn almost forty minutes. 

In that time, Harry picks Louis’s brain about the island. “Yeah, the vets mostly worked from the exhibits, only time I remember taking a dino to the vet and not the other way around was for surgery.”

“What kind?” Harry asks, enthralled. 

“One of the baby protos broke a leg and they had to put some screws in to fix it. That one is one of my favorites, such a friendly dinosaur because he interacted with us so much from such a young age. Has kind of a funky front leg from the break healing badly so we should recognize him no problem once we find the herd.”

Harry hesitates, unsure if it’s rude to mention but… “Louis, you know they aren’t all going to have survived, right?” He says it in a hushed tone, not wanting the other men to hear. 

Louis is looking at his hands where he fiddles with a toy stegosaurus. “Yeah, of course. There are tons of predators loose on the island, and like… surviving on their own is going to have a cost. But, I just need to dream for a little longer. Okay?”

Harry understands.  _ God _ , does he understand. He knows that Louis views the protos like his family pets, knows how much they must mean to him. Harry still cries if he thinks about the death of his childhood dog too much so of course he understands. For now, Louis needs to think that they’re all alive. For as long as they can all theoretically be alive, they will be. 

“Guys, I’m in the tracking system,” Zayn calls, popping the bubble that surrounds Harry and Louis. Louis stands up quickly, rushing to Zayn’s side. Harry follows. 

“Where is my herd?” Louis says as his eyes frantically scour the screen. “Gallimimus, stegosaurus, no, no…”

“There,” Harry says, pointing. “By the old park.”

Louis follows his finger and spots them. “Along the river… they’re basically in the old tyrannosaurus rex exhibit. We’ll use the east dock then. Let’s radio the ship.”

Zayn plugs an iPad into the computer and copies the data for the dinosaurs to an app. “Now, we will be able to track them on the go as well.”

Harry nods. “And keep away from predators.”

They wait just a minute for Zayn to pack up his gear and then they are off, back down the glass hallways and through the Innovation Center. Louis radios the boat as they go, giving them instructions on how to navigate to the east dock. When they leave the building, Harry sliding shut the doors behind them, they are met with even more smoke than earlier. 

Harry coughs. 

“It’s horrible out here, how long have the dinosaurs been living like this?” Louis asks rhetorically. 

Through the haze, heavy footfalls reach their ears. Niall freezes first, alerting the others as they too hone in on the noise. 

“Oh fuck,” Louis whispers as they all watch the tyrannosaurus rex materialize at the end of the street, eyes glinting through the smoke. 

“Don’t. Move.” Harry isn’t even sure who said it, everyone already frozen in place.  
The t-rex seems to know someone is there however. It’s eyes slowly drag over the street and it resumes walking around the lagoon area, surveying. It stops to look down an alley where a sign overhead points to the bathrooms. 

“Go, go, go, go,” Zayn whispers and they make a break for the Jeep. 

The t-rex’s head whips around and spots them as they rip open the doors and throw themselves into the seats. 

“Buckle the  _ fuck _ up,” Niall barks at them, having taken the driver’s seat. He throws the car into reverse and spins to face east, then shifts to drive and gases it all before the t-rex has even begun to move in their direction. 

“Drive around the center, but cut between the waterpark and the petting zoo,” Louis instructs. 

“Where the bloody hell is that?!” Niall yells. 

“HERE.” 

Niall spins the wheel and they are all thrown to the side as he takes the sidewalk between two fences. Pounding footsteps behind them tell Harry the t-rex is in pursuit. He sees why Louis told Niall to turn here, however; the sidewalk is much more narrow and small decorative arches stretch across the path. This sidewalk is the equivalent of track hurdles for the rex. Harry turns in his seat to look behind and, sure enough, the t-rex is struggling to follow. It crashes into the first arch with it’s foot before successfully stepping over it only to run into the next one and break the arch in two. When they reach the end of the path, they turn and the t-rex is lost from view. 

Niall’s driving carries them away from the danger and soon they are back into the forest, Louis navigating Niall to the east dock. They don’t hear any more footsteps following them, and don’t encounter any other dinosaurs for some time. 

Harry simply takes in the forest. It’s smokey but also humid, creating a thick atmosphere that permeates the Jeep despite the windows being closed. Still, Harry can imagine the beauty. The trees are tall and still vibrantly green. Small lizards and birds scurry and fly through the foliage. They pass a creek where a small stegosaurus lifts its head from taking a drink, startled by the presence of a vehicle after so much time alone. It makes a low call and retreats downstream. Niall has slowed the Jeep, their breakneck speed unneeded now. It could almost feel like a park tour. 

Like this, the island is almost peaceful. 


	3. Chapter 3

“Let’s gooooo,” Niall says as they sit in the Jeep, waiting for the massive ship to dock. It’s slow going for the crew driving the boat. Harry is surprised however by the massive crew Louis has amassed. 

“They’re almost all former park workers,” Louis says. “People passionate enough about this place to return. Like me.”

“Oi, or the few I rounded up!” Niall barks. 

“Or the couple people Niall bribed into coming.” Louis rubs his finger tips together as he says it. Niall flips him off. 

Finally, the ship is docked and they climb aboard to help drive various vehicles off of the lower level and onto the dock. 

“Had to contact the old company that made the vehicles for the park,” Niall tells Harry as they climb into adjacent Jeeps. “All the vehicles that can hold a dinosaur? Specially made and paid under the table. Didn’t know if the ones on the island would be operable so we had to make all new trucks.” 

Harry turns the key of his Jeep, already sitting in the ignition, and the engine rumbles to life. He waits for the truck behind him to roll down the ramp onto the dock. It’s one of the vehicles Louis is talking about; large, with what looks like a shipping container on the back. There is a ramp on the back, and a lift to bring a sedated dinosaur inside. 

Back on the dock, Harry puts the Jeep in park and climbs out. 

“Harry, glad to see you came.”

Harry looks around for the source of the voice, then finally down and sees Liam tucked halfway under the belly of a Jeep. He slides out, what looks like a skateboard under his back, and smiles at Harry. He’s wearing just a white tank top, already covered in grease stains. And sweat. 

“You’re a mechanic?” Harry says. 

“Mechanical engineer, and also your boat captain,” Liam says, motioning towards the massive cargo ship. 

“So in the park…?”

Liam wipes at his brow, the humid air causing perspiration. “I fixed any machine that needed fixing. Next level handyman.”

“Oui, gather round a-holes!” Louis’ voice calls over the banter and din of the rescue crew on the dock. Liam rolls fully out from under the Jeep and stands beside Harry to listen to Louis’s announcement. 

“Everyone here? Good, listen,” Louis calls over the crowd. He’s standing in the back of one of the Jeeps, the top removed so just the roll bars are above the seats. He holds one for balance as he talks. “Here’s the plan: we are going to head to the planes and, fingers crossed, I can get the protos into the trucks without sedation. If they’re too scared, however, we’ll have to tranq them and lift them in. We are in and out before that volcano blows, no question about it.” 

Everyone is nodding, in agreement that they want to be  _ long _ gone before any lava is above ground. 

“Remember there are still carnivores on this island. Keep an eye on one another, keep your eyes peeled, and keep in communication. I’m not planning on losing anyone today. Or any dinosaurs for that matter! If  _ anything _ happens to a proto, we’ve got Harry here.” Louis points to Harry in the middle of the crowd and Harry raises a hand so everyone sees him. “He’s the resident vet for the trip.”

Louis goes over a few more details, Zayn steps up to hand out some more iPads with the tracking information of the dinosaurs copied over, and then the crowd is dismissed. 

“We’re heading out in five!” Louis calls as they scatter. “Get yourselves ready! And don’t forget to grab walkies!”

Louis belines for Harry as soon as his announcements are done. “I’ve got a medical kit for you on the ship, let’s grab it and get in a Jeep.”

Harry doesn’t know he seems to have suddenly become Louis’s right hand but he’s okay with it as they dart back onto the boat and retrieve the medical kit from the second level. Then they hurry back down, the sound of rumbling engines growing louder. 

They look like a militia as the group departs for the protoceratops herd. Louis and Harry are in the lead Jeep, with a dozen vehicles behind them. They throw mud and water as they pass through puddles in the forest, the roads extra bumpy and potholed after the island was abandoned. 

It takes just over fifteen minutes to reach the point of the river where the herd is residing. They leave the vehicles a short distance away, far enough away that the engines don’t make the dinosaurs run in fright. The protoceratops eye them warily as they exit their vehicles, waiting to see if they should flee. 

The driver’s of the trucks open the backs in hopes that Louis will be able to coax the protoceratops into the trucks without tranquilizers. Louis himself approaches the herd, everyone else waiting behind. 

Harry watches as first Louis approaches a female on the edge of the group. They can’t hear Louis from here, the wind carrying his voice in the opposite direction, but Harry can see his lips moving as he talks to her. She is hesitant, but not fleeing. Harry thinks it’s a good sign. 

Slowly, Louis makes his way through the herd, reintroducing himself to the members. As he goes, certain protoceratops begin to follow him like obedient dogs at their owner’s heel. They’re about the same size as a large dog, their backs coming to just above Louis’s knee. One butts it’s frilled head into Louis’s leg and he stops to pay attention to it, crouching to its level and gently laying a hand on its shoulder. 

Louis stops at another dinosaur, this one standing by itself and not approaching. He crouches and talks to it, a hand offered forward in peace. The protoceratops doesn’t move towards Louis, but it also doesn’t back away. It just looks on, almost sadly. Louis looks up and back towards the trucks, eyes searching. 

“Who is he looking for?” Niall asks, sidling up beside Harry as they all watch Louis’s progress through the herd. 

Louis spots Harry and stands, beckoning him over. Harry takes a step forward, then remembers the medical kit. He takes it from the back of the Jeep and starts off at a jog to join Louis. As he nears the herd, he stops. 

“Just walk calmly, they aren’t too flustered by all the people,” Louis calls in a calm tone. 

Harry begins to wade through, the small dinosaurs backing away from him but watching curiously. One sniffs his bag as he moves past, and he accidentally bumps its nose. It makes a sharp noise of reproach and backs away. 

“Sorry, sweetie,” Harry says, drawing the medical kit closer to his body and out of harm’s way. 

Harry reaches Louis’s side and crouches too. “What’s wrong?” Harry asks. Together, they look at the protoceratops before them. It shows no signs of being injured, or at least none that Harry can see from this angle. 

“He’s not moving, but this is Clifford. He’s one of the friendliest, one of my favorites. This is not like him,” Louis says. 

“And you’re sure this is Clifford?”

Louis looks at Harry sharply. 

“I’m just saying, they all look the same to me right now.”

“I  _ know _ it’s Clifford,” Louis assures. “He’s lethargic.”

Harry carefully sets down his medical kit and removes the stethoscope. “How is it best to approach them?” he asks. 

“Don’t make any sharp moves, keep everything calm and smooth. They like to investigate a little bit, like a dog. Also don’t loom over them, they take that as a threat.”

Harry takes note and moves towards Clifford. The protoceratops backs away, unsure of Harry. 

“Shhh, buddy. It’s okay,” Louis tells him. 

Harry crouches beside the protos, as low as he can be without just flat out sitting on the grass. “Hey buddy,” Harry says. Louis siddles up beside Harry, watching. 

Harry puts the stethoscope in his ears, and moves the bell towards Clifford’s chest. Inches from touching the proto’s rough skin, Harry hesitates. 

This will be the first time he’s touched a real, breathing dinosaur. They’d had dummies in class and occasionally cadavers from the park itself were sent over, but Harry has never  _ really _ touched a dinosaur. He tries not to make a big deal about it, to force his hand to travel the last few inches and just listen to Clifford’s heartbeat. Louis pets and touches these dinosaurs all the time, it’s not a big deal. Louis probably thinks he’s a fool for making this such a big deal, for making it into a  _ moment _ . 

And then a hand is beside his, gently taking the bell from Harry’s hand and then pressing his now empty palm to rest against Clifford’s side. 

Harry looks to the side, into Louis’s bright blue eyes. 

“I know you know they’re amazing but… aren’t they just amazing?” Louis asks him quietly. Louis removes his hand from over Harry’s to rub gently at Clifford’s shoulder. The proto’s eye lulls closed. “It’s his favorite spot.”

Harry runs his hand over the rough skin on Clifford’s side, taking in the texture. Every bump and ridge is interesting and unique, Clifford’s own fingerprint amongst the herd. 

With a deep breath, Harry takes the bell of the stethoscope again and this time presses it to the side of Clifford’s chest. He listens, then moves the bell to another location. 

“Do you think he’d let me look in his mouth?” Harry asks. 

Louis nods. “If I’m the one who opens it. They’re pretty used to this kind of stuff, since we charted their growth and kept medical records on all of them.”

Harry nods and motions for Louis to do whatever he needs to. Louis carefully slides his hand up Clifford’s neck, moving in such a way it still seems like he is petting the dinosaur. At his head, he caresses the side of his face, quickly itching another favorite spot if Clifford’s closed eyes are anything to go by, and then slides his hand down to hook his fingers into the side of Clifford’s mouth and pull it open. 

Harry leans over Louis’s shoulder to peer inside. He reaches forwards and gently pokes at one of Clifford’s gums. “He’s dehydrated,” Harry tells Louis. 

“That’s the problem?”

“Or a side effect of the problem,” Harry tells him. “He also has very clean teeth. He hasn’t been eating.”

“Oh.”

“So I think he might have an upset stomach. Nothing to worry about for now I think. He’d be fine to transport. He has enough energy to have backed away from me initially, so he can’t be feeling too miserable. I’ll check him out more intensely on the ride home.”

Louis nods. 

“So now… we just get them in the trucks.”

It’s easier said than done. A few follow Louis into one of the container’s with just gentle coaxing, and a few more into another with a special treat Louis had brought (he reveals to Harry that they’re baked treats of banana and oats, literally dinosaur treats). But the rest must be tranquilized, a large and somewhat disorganized process. 

As soon as Niall shoots one, it squeaks and the others begin to scatter. The members of the rescue team have to shout targets as they try to tranquilize each protoceratops before any get away. 

In the end, Louis has to throw himself into a Jeep and chase after one female and her baby that made it to the trees. He returns as the tranquilized dinosaurs are being lifted into the truck’s containers. 

“Well, at least we got them all in the end,” Liam assures Louis as they settle the mother and baby into the last truck. 

“Well… not really all of them.” Louis turns to look out at the plains, where a few curious compsognathus have gathered on a low tree branch to watch their group. “There are still hundreds of them out there. Maybe more at this point. They’ve obviously been breeding.” He looks back at the mother and baby. 

“We could take more, you know,” Niall says. “We bought too many trucks technically. And it’s not like the protoceratops are going to dive overboard if we let some roam the deck on the way home. We could take more dinosaurs.”

“What will we do with them? Where will they go once they’re off the island?” Zayn asks. 

“There’s no way we will have anywhere to put… a carnotaurus. Or lord help me, a tyrannosaurus rex,” Liam says. 

“My ranch,” Louis says. “I would have to build more. Perhaps a lot more. But it’s hundreds of acres. I can do whatever I need to with that kind of land.”

They’re all silent. Thinking. 

“How much time do you think we have until the volcano erupts?” Zayn asks. 

Niall barks a laugh. “Who cares, I’m in.”

Louis looks at Liam. 

“Oh, alright,” he concedes. “But when the lava starts,  _ we leave _ .”

Next, Louis looks at Harry. 

“I’m in.” He’s sure. 

“Zayn?”

“Fine.”

They rearrange a few sleeping protoceratops to take three empty trucks further into the island. Harry and Louis lead, with Niall, Zayn, and Liam following in the second truck. The third is driven by Simon and Paul. Looking at one of the iPad’s, they see a small group of parasaurs further down the valley, near a small lake. They are accompanied by a brachiosaurus, but the trucks simply aren’t big enough. 

“It’s just not possible,” Harry says for a third time. “We aren’t equipped for any dinosaurs  _ near _ that big.” 

Louis whines like a protesting child. “There has to be a way.”

Niall’s voice crackles over the radio. “We can’t, Louis. No way.”

“I hate to play god, but we have to pick and choose,” Harry says. Louis sighs, but gives up after that.

The hardest thing about rescuing the parasaurs is getting them  _ out _ of the water so they don’t drown when they are tranquilized. The truck lifts then set them in the containers and they turn back towards the east side of the island. 

“Louis to the team, we are on our way back to the dock.” Louis throws the iPad onto Harry’s lap as he buckles, setting the walkie back onto its stand beside the radio. The other truck, Simon and Paul’s, pulls away.

“Roger that,” someone says through the radio. “The protos are all nearly on the boat. We have just a few trucks to go.”

Harry unlocks the iPad to see what other dinosaurs are nearby.

“Good, release a few that have woken up to free up a few more trucks for one more trip,” Louis says. 

“Um, Louis?” Harry says, eyes on an icon on the screen. “Something is coming. Or well, going for Simon and Paul’s truck.”

Louis leans over and watches the moving icons on the iPad. “What dinosaur is that? Where’s the key?”

Harry pokes the icon and it shows information about the dinosaur. “Alpha Velociraptor,” Harry reads aloud. 

“Fuck, it’s Blue,” Louis barks. 

Harry doesn’t know Blue specifically, has never heard of Blue. But Harry knows all about dinosaurs, and every which way they can kill you. A velociraptor has the most--and best--options for success. 

Louis grabs the radio. “Louis to Simon, do you read me?”

There is a moment of silence, then: “Loud and clear.”

“Blue is heading for you, you gotta lose her.”

“Fuck.”

Harry watches the icons on the iPad, heart in his throat as Blue nears the truck. They’re driving, but she is easily keeping pace. They can’t see her exact movements, the iPad’s signal not strong enough for them to truly see the events happen. But they hear the crackle of the radio as Paul calls. “We don’t see her, where is she?”

Harry takes the radio from Louis. “To your left,” Then he turns to Louis. “Drive, we gotta get over there.”

They high tail it after Simon and Paul’s truck. Louis drives dangerously fast, palm branches hitting the windshield with a loud  _ thwap _ as they fail to steer clear. 

“She’s on us, fu—“ Paul’s voice says, but cuts off as he releases the walkie button. 

Then, “she’s got the back door open, going for the Dino. Fuck, what—“ 

They listen to static for a moment, then a burst of chaos reaches their ears. Harry hurriedly zooms in the map on the iPad like it will help them see what’s happened to the others. 

“The truck stopped,” Harry says, watching Blue’s icon sit atop it. “I think—“

“Yeah,” Louis says. Their Jeep is slowing down. “If we get too close, she will probably come after us.” 

“Do we assume—?”

Louis takes the radio. “Simon, Paul, do you copy?” 

They wait for a response. 

Quietly, the radio clicks on again. “She—she got Simon. I’m here though. Paul. I’m here.”

“Where is Blue?” Louis asks, hesitantly speeding up again, continually heading towards the other vehicle. 

“I don’t know, it’s quiet. I think she left?” 

Harry watches her icon on the screen, just to the side of the truck now.

“She’s not gone,” Harry corrects. 

“Stay still, we’ll come get you when she leaves,” Louis says. He glances at Harry as he says it, unsure if it’s the right course of action. 

Harry nods. “We would just be killed too if we pull up right now. Odds are, she’s had her fill and will wander away once she’s done feeding. Right?” 

“I’d—yeah, I’d think so,” Louis says. 

So they wait. Blue’s icon leaves the vicinity of the truck 

When they pull up to the forest clearing where Blue derailed the vehicle, it’s on its side, the back door of the container torn open. Harry doesn’t look inside, not wanting to see the killed parasaur. Louis parks their Jeep near the cab of the truck. They find Paul pinched between his seat and the dashboard, the cab smashed and misshapen from the crash. 

It’s once they have Paul extracted from the vehicle remains, safely tucked into the backseat of their Jeep, that Harry and Louis share a knowingly look. The danger is real. And they might just be realizing it. 

  
  



	4. Chapter 4

When they arrive at the dock, chaos has ensued. 

“What’s going on?!” Louis shouts. Harry flicks his eyes from one person to the other, noticing they are all looking the same way. He spins on the spot to follow their gaze and sees the volcano is ready to erupt. Ever greater clouds of black smoke billow into the sky, and small projectiles of bright lava spit from the top as the molten lava begins to seep down the sides. 

“Shit.” Louis has seen it too. “We’re almost out of time.”

They settle Paul onto a row of seats on the second level of the boat and leave him in the care of another rescue party member. 

It goes unsaid that they return to the depths the island one more time. There are more dinosaurs to save, and who are they to play fate? But if they are, fate is going to favor everyone on the island today. 

Harry and Louis throw themselves into a Jeep, with Liam, Zayn, and Niall following in another truck. They careen away from the docks, the tires throwing mud into the air. 

“They’ll all be moving towards the shore,” Louis says, “they’ll be moving away from the volcano. Instinct.” Harry nods, keeping his eyes peeled for dinosaurs among the trees. 

Trunks whip past, the Jeep’s engine growling. They are all too aware of the impending lava, even with the volcano hidden by the forest canopy. The truck lags behind, Liam doing his best to navigate the larger vehicle down the narrow road but unable to keep the same pace. 

“Go to the plains,” Harry says, throwing a hand out to get Louis’s attention. “There are dinos there.” He’s looking down at the iPad, tracking the movement of a dinosaur group moving away from the volcano. It is the only instinct anyone animal would have out here, save for the people driving towards it. 

At the next fork, Louis hangs a right and they veer up a hill towards the grassland. When they burst from the trees, the Jeep leaves the ground over the rise. They both knock forwards as it lands, their seat belts tightening. Harry is breathless as he takes in the scene before him: the sky is black, nearly night. The world is lit from beneath as the lava reflects the few sun rays breaking through the smoke cover, refracting them as a heinous orange tint onto the plains. 

It takes Harry a moment to realize there is a noise beyond the Jeep engine. He focuses, and as his eyes meet Louis’s he realizes what the sound is. It’s like a fog horn, a long note carrying across the grass. It’s a panic call, a mournful cry for help from something that has resigned to its fate. 

Louis hits the gas. 

They’re quick to find the dinosaurs. It’s a small group of four iguanodons moving as fast as their lumbering bodies allow. They’re quick for an animal their size, but nothing against the crawling lava. They can’t yet see the molten rock over gentle rolling of the plains, but they all know it is coming.

“Harry, the tranq,” Louis says as he grabs for their radio. 

“Jeep Two to the Truck, we have iguanodons.”

“We’re following,” Niall’s voice crackles back. “We can see your tail lights. Don’t let off the break.”

Harry glances behind as he loads a few darts into the tranquilizing gun. He can barely see movement, but then the truck materializes from the gloom and hits it’s breaks. Immediately, Zayn and Niall burst from shotgun with tranquilizer guns. Harry turns back to the windshield and grabs the roll bar above his head, pulling himself to standing. Above the windshield, the smoke has intensified. He coughs twice before eyeying down the barrel of the gun. 

Harry hits his target, the female iguanodon leading the group. She bays loudly, and the others shake their heads, looking for the danger. The lava drives them to keep moving towards the Jeep however and Zayn and Liam hit their marks too; a juvenile male and the other mature female. 

“Quick, to the truck,” Louis says, leaving the Jeep running and climbing out of the vehicle. Harry follows. 

Liam pulls the truck closer to the wilting iguanodons. It’s dangerous to not wait for them to be fully sedated, but they don’t have much choice under the time pressure. Harry keeps glancing over his shoulder, waiting to see the lava approaching, as they strap the half asleep juvenile into the lift. As soon as he is in, they begin strapping the lead female. She makes the call they’d heard earlier, the mournful horn. It’s deep and reverberates in Harry’s chest as he secures the strap around her chest. It’s deafening and horrible. 

“Let’s go, let’s go,” Harry yells when she’s secure, motioning to Liam to get her into the truck. 

And that’s when Harry has a sudden feeling that he’s being watched. He whips around, looking back towards the forest. He can’t see much of anything at this point, just smoke and grass. But he  _ knows _ something is there. 

“Harry? Harry, we gotta go!” Louis calls. 

“Oui!” Niall says. 

“She’s here,” Harry says. 

“Who?” Zayn asks. 

Louis gasps. “Blue.”

The velociraptor materializes as if on command. She’s tall, eye level with Harry. She’s thirty meters away but Harry feels like he’s close enough to feel her breath on his cheek. He imagines a click when she blinks, something robotic but also catlike about the small, quick movements of her head as she assesses them. Harry gulps. 

“She’s not hunting us,” Louis says. “We wouldn’t see her if she was.”

Niall coughs. “Guys, the lava.”

Harry glances in the direction of the volcano and sure enough, the glow has become more prominent. The lava must be just behind the next rise. Harry glances to the back of the truck, where the third iguanodon is settling in.

“Get in your seats,” Harry says, “We gotta go.” Louis and Harry hurry back to the Jeep, towards Blue. She takes a step towards them, and they freeze. 

“Louis, Louis what do we do,” Harry says, jaw tense. 

“Get in. Get in, get in, get in,” Louis says. Harry glances to the side as the truck passes them, gaining speed as Liam, Zayn, and Niall beeline for the forest. They’re headed back to the dock. 

Harry eyes Blue, unsure if she means to end his life or not. He takes a hesitant step and she cocks her head. 

ThenHarrybelinesupandintothepassengerseat. As he does, Louis shifts to reverse, throwing the Jeep around to head back into the forest. Blue gives them a wide berth as the Jeep swings in an arc, but still eyes them. 

They fly off of the plains, the tires once again leaving the ground as they kareen back into the woods. The engine growls as it is pushed to its limits. Harry glances over his shoulder, wondering if the lava is in view yet and, to his surprise, Blue is behind them. 

“Louis, she’s following!” 

Harry glances to the driver’s side and catches Louis looking in the rearview mirror. His eyes widen.

“What happens if she goes to the boats?”

The question goes unanswered as the Jeep hits a bump and they are both jostled in their seats. Harry is thrown forwards but yanked to a halt as the seat belt automatically tightens, hitting his chest like a load of bricks. 

Leaves and branches smack the windshield as they continue at their break neck speed. Harry keeps an eye on Blue in the side view mirror, but barely. She is ducking and weaving through the forest, more agile than their vehicle but not pulling ahead. For every branch that whips past, scratching the Jeep, Blue ducks and weaves beneath three others. 

“Louis, Louis we gotta go faster,” Harry says as he spots the lava advancing through the forest. He whips around, looking back into the jungle where trees are seemingly melting into the heat, trunks giving way with cracks and snaps as the lava eats the trunks with ease. 

“We’ll hit a tree if I go any faster!” Louis says. “I can’t see in this!”

Harry coughs like punctuation for Louis’s statement, looking back through the windshield at the storm of ash and blowing embers ahead of them. 

“We have to!”

Louis presses harder on the pedal, and the engine roars. Blue roars in return. 

Looking back to the velociraptor, Harry sees that she has matched pace with the Jeep, sprinting beside his door. She glances his way, long pupils briefly meeting his. Her eyes are yellow. 

Harry settles back into his seat just in time to yell, “tree!” and Louis swerves around the trunk. The heat is sweltering now, sweat pricking on the back of their necks. Harry thinks it feels like the world around them must be on fire, the embers having started a forest fire, based on the heat. But there are no flames, just quickly moving lava. 

“The shore!” Louis screams as they break from the trees. Blue skids away as they break hard, the boat ahead already in motion. 

“They’re…” 

“They’re LEAVING,” Louis shouts, gunning the engine. 

“WHAT ARE WE DOING.”

“LIVING.”

The vehicle ramp on the back of the cargo ship isn’t closed, forgotten in the crew’s haste to leave. Louis whips the Jeep into position as it falls off the dock, hitting the water and causing a massive wave to slap the cement sea wall. They floor it, Harry bracing his arms against the dashboard as he anticipates the impact. 

As the Jeep leaves the dock, the world turns to slow motion. Harry turns, looking for Blue through the chaos. Her sleek body is behind the Jeep, losing speed as she nears the edge of the dock. She skids to a halt, her jaws opening but Harry fails to hear her roar.

And then the Jeep smacks onto the boat deck. Harry snaps forwards, his arm giving easily against the momentum of the Jeep’s landing. His elbow jams painfully, falling to his lap and he falls forward, the seat belt catching him just before his forehead bashes into the dashboard. 

“Fuck--” Louis rasps beside him as the Jeep slides into a dinosaur containment enclosure, despite his frantic breaking. They snap to the side as the Jeep comes to a halt against the metal, shattering Harry’s window. The glass falls as he turns his head away, closing his eyes. 

The world seems silent for a moment. 

Harry slowly lifts his head, registering a burning in his arm, and turns to Louis. His bright blues are already looking right back. Harry takes a moment to register where Louis’s forehead is bleeding from hitting the steering wheel and how his hair is a mess across his forehead. His fingers are still on the clutch, white knuckled. Harry carefully, slowly, reaches forwards and helps him unclench each finger. Louis pulls his hand towards his chest and stretches the fingers, looking down without expression. Harry reaches across the console and brushes Louis’s hair off of his forehead to look at the laceration. Louis’s eyes flick to Harry’s, then down, and then back. 

“We made it,” Harry says.

“We...we did,” Louis says. His eyes flick to somewhere just below Harry’s eyes, then back again. There is just a moment, a breath, and then they surge towards one another, lips meeting in the middle. Louis is breathing heavily and Harry imagines he sounds the same. Louis’s hands are on either side of Harry’s face, cradling his jaw like precious cargo. It’s a searing kiss, without movement or waiver. 

Louis pulls away suddenly. Harry barely lets him. 

“Fuck,” Louis gasps. 

“I know,” Harry says. 

A strangled cry pulls them from the bubble that is the Jeep. The chaos of the forest being consumed by lava and the crew screaming and the boat engine running fade back in. Harry stands in his seat, broken window glass falling from his lap, and looks back towards shore. Beside him, Louis stands too. 

Blue is on the dock, frantically glancing behind as the lava heads for the water. Harry makes a split second decision. 

“Are you mad?” Louis asks as Harry climbs up and over the frame of the Jeep, navigating around his jammed and broken door. He runs to the edge of the boat, where the ramp is still dragging in the water. “Blue, c’mon Blue!” he yells. 

She jerks forwards, like she is thinking of jumping but can’t make up her mind. Harry feels Louis approach from behind and then a shrill whistle sounds. Harry glances up and sees Louis with two fingers in his mouth. He makes the whistle again. 

“C’mon, Blue!” Harry says. 

The velociraptor is definitely looking at Louis as she jumps into the water. 

“Can she even swim?” Harry wonders. 

“Little late to find out,” Louis says. 

They both watch as she hurries after the boat. Her long claws and narrow feet aren’t made for swimming, her strong haunches barely able to propel her forwards with such useless paddles pushing against the water. However, she is able to catch up to the boat as it idles away from the shore, waiting until they are further at sea to cause a wake. 

Hurriedly, Harry looks around. How will she get on board? He stares at the vehicle ramp for a moment, still hanging into the water. It is ribbed so that the vehicle tires have traction.“Here, here!” Harry calls to her, patting the ramp. He thinks Blue can climb it. 

“Where is she going to go?” Louis asks, glancing over his shoulder. Harry looks too and there is Niall, slowly dragging open the door of an enclosure and waving Louis over. 

Harry keeps tabs on both parties, watching as Blue begins to pull her dripping body from the water. Louis and Niall herd two protoceratops from the container and further aboard, holding their arms out to slowly pressure them to move away from where Blue is boarding the ship. 

Harry backs up as she crawls closer, keeping a constant ten feet between him and her teeth. She scrambles onto level ground and is still for a moment save for her heaving sides. Harry looks on, apprehensive. 

“Blue, c’mere,” he says, beginning to walk backwards towards the container. “Come along.”

She doesn’t move, just watches him with her yellow cat eyes. But then she takes a step, seeming to have caught her breath enough for the next leg of her journey. Harry doesn’t look away from her as he keeps walking backwards.

“A little to your right,” Louis whispers harshly, and Harry alters his path, moving one hand behind him to give Louis the thumbs up that he had heard. It is slow going as Blue is coaxed through each step. Harry doesn’t blame her; she just sprinted almost a mile and then swam a hundred meters. He’d be exhausted too. 

But her exhaustion, Harry thinks, is why he isn’t dead yet. He walks backwards into the container, stepping up the lip and almost tripping himself. Louis gasps as he sees it, but cuts off as soon as he recognizes that Harry is okay. 

Blue continues to follow, settling into the floor of the container as soon as she is inside. Harry just stands in the corner, not knowing what to do. He has trapped himself in a tiny space with a deadly dinosaur, but he doesn’t feel apprehensive anymore. Instead, he feels sure Blue is safe. 

Harry begins to move back toward her, intent on slowly stepping around the velociraptor and over her tail, when he notices a shiny patch on the back of her legs. He pauses, moving around her to get a better look. It’s obvious then that she is injured, the skin damaged in patches along her legs and tail. Burns. Burns from the lava. 

“Louis,” Harry says in a measured voice, careful not to startle Blue. 

Without moving into the doorway, Louis responds. “Yes?”

“Can you get my medical kit? And a headlamp?” Harry asks.

“Is she okay?”

“She’s burned.”

Harry hears Louis’s footsteps as he hurries away. Blue gingerly settles onto the floor of the container, lying on her side. While he waits for Louis’s return, Harry settles onto the floor behind Blue, where she can’t reach him with an easy stretch of her neck. If he is going to examine the wounds, he’ll have to be even closer to her. At least this is a start. 

By the time Louis returns, it seems that Blue’s exhaustion has forced her into sleep. Her eyes are resting closed, but Harry has no doubt she is still listening for his movements, even his breathing. Louis slides the bag towards Harry, loud on the metal floor of the container. Blue’s eyes open and watch Harry from the corner as he unzips the bag and removes a burn salve and a latex glove. It’s slow going as he slowly moves closer and closer to Blue, watching her beady eye watch him. By the time he is close enough to actually touch her, his nerves are a live wire ready to spark at any moment. 

Harry audibly gulps, then slowly begins spreading the salve across her burn. Blue pulls her leg away for a moment, then stills. Harry gives her a second before continuing his ministrations. Once the burn is covered in salve, Harry wraps the damaged flesh in bandages and then zips his bag. Blue appears to have fallen back asleep, exhaustion overriding whatever threat she found Harry to be. He slides himself across the floor to the edge of the container and crawls back onto the deck of the ship. 

The moment he is clear of the doors, Louis and Niall push them closed. 

“Holy shit,” Harry says. 

“Holy shit indeed.” Harry meets Louis’s eyes and they sparkle. 


	5. Chapter 5

The rest of the day is filled with Harry tending to the dinosaurs. The ship crew has delivered food to each animal but many of them are electing not to eat. Harry knows it is probably stress, but examines each dinosaur anyways. Few need care, thankfully, and around one in the morning he is able to drag himself below deck to the barracks. 

Harry doesn’t make it there. Louis is in the hallway, a radio in hand and a headset attached. 

“No, no. You need to be there first thing tomorrow. The details of dinosaur smuggling are non-negotiable!” He is trying to keep his voice down, but his frustration is pushing through the lowered volume. 

“You listen to me. You’re going to be there when we arrive. End of discussion. Over and out.” Louis rips the headset off, then seems to notice Harry for the first time. “Everything go okay?” he asks. 

“I should be asking you the same.” Harry yearns to reach out and fix Louis’s hair where the headset has disrupted it’s natural swoop, but hesitates. He doesn’t know if the kiss earlier was just adrenaline and relief or… something else. 

“You should get some rest,” Louis tells him. 

“I could tell you the same.” The teasing tone in Harry’s voice really gets Louis’s attention and he fully focuses on Harry, the radio in his hand clipped to his belt and forgotten. 

“I don’t think I could if I tried, too much to think about.”

Harry hesitantly raises his arm, hovering it for a moment before gently brushing his fingers along Louis’s wrist and then slides his fingers between Louis’s and begins to lead him to the deck of the ship. 

“Where are we going?” Louis’s says, his fingers tightening where they lay between Harry’s. 

“We are going to relax.  _ You _ are going to relax.” 

Harry leads Louis all the way to the top of the ship, where a small deck sits outside the bridge. At the top of the narrow stairs, Harry sits with his feet on the top step and pulls Louis down to sit beside him. They’re hips barely fit across the step and they’re pressed along the entire side of their bodies. Louis’s hand goes to Harry’s knee and gives him a soft squeeze. 

“Louis, look up.” It’s almost silent. 

Louis slowly takes his eyes away from Harry, who is watching him, and looks to the sky. Harry then looks too, and he feels when Louis’s hand on his knee squeezes again in surprise. Above them, the stars shine brightly, only a few clouds drifting across them. 

“It’s so beautiful,” Louis says. 

Harry can barely hear him despite being just inches apart. “The perfect evening.”

Harry can feel when Louis’s eyes turn back to him. He slowly moves his eyes back to meet Louis’s, who is already leaning in. 

Their lips meet and it is so much softer than the kiss earlier, one driven by adrenaline and danger. This one is tender as Harry brings his hands to cup Louis’s face, feeling the bone of his jaw moving as he opens his mouth to deepen the kiss. 

Harry draws a sharp breath through his nose, absorbed in the moment and loving the feel of Louis’s lips on his own. 

Suddenly, they hear a click. They jump apart as the door to the bridge opens, the ship’s captain throwing open the door so the lights inside illuminate the two of them. 

“Captain,” Louis says curtly. Harry snickers. 

“Dr. Tomlinson.”

Harry and Louis stand and head down the stairs, the captain behind them as he heads to the bathroom and they try not to feel awkward. When they are finally away from him, Harry begins to laugh aloud. 


End file.
